Since Lin Shu couldn’t go, Jiang Weidong invited Panpan and Tiantian to join them, worried that Lin Xia might feel awkward or unsure about facing her parents’ questions.

The two kids were very considerate and immediately climbed into the car, sitting obediently.

Lin Shu was left speechless. “You two really love to stir up excitement, don’t you?”

Lin Xia and Jiang Weidong found that bringing the kids was indeed a wise choice.

They were little mood lifters and ensured there was never an awkward moment.

As they entered Linjia Village, the jeep attracted a lot of attention, with many people peeking out to see what was happening.

Luckily, most villagers were busy harvesting wheat, so the village was mostly empty except for the elderly and the sick, but they still gathered to watch the commotion.

Panpan leaned out of the car window and, pointing at a gossipy old woman, shouted, “Are you still gossiping?”

The old woman, thinking that a fearsome figure had come back with his wife and children, quickly grabbed her little grandson and ran away.

Tiantian then pointed at another woman, “And her daughter-in-law!”

Panpan yelled, “Have you educated your gossipy daughter-in-law properly?”

The onlookers, seeing Panpan’s angelic face, couldn’t help but think of her as a little devil.

The kid held grudges and remembered everyone who had gossiped about her mother.

Even though her father had returned and they had visited her maternal grandparents many times, each visit was marked by Panpan calling out those who had criticized her family.

Thanks to Panpan’s commotion, the crowd didn’t notice whether the driver was Lu Shaotang or if the woman with him was Lin Shu.

The jeep passed by quickly.

After the jeep had gone, a group of old women gathered to gossip again.

“Was that Lin Shu and her fierce husband?”

“I glanced and it didn’t seem like them. The woman looked more like Lin Xia.”

“No way! You don’t know? Lin Xia got divorced and was kicked out by her in-laws. How could she have a new man?” This was said by Zhao Laosan’s mother.

“Really? Is it true?”

“Of course it’s true. After all these years of marriage, she hasn’t even had a daughter. Her in-laws wouldn’t want her.”

“But she has such a good job. Her in-laws would actually let her go? I heard she’s now working in the countryside, wiring up the communes, and making quite a good salary. I wouldn’t give that up for anything. Anyway, I have several grandsons and don’t need her to have children.”

The money she earned was something no one else could get.

Zhao Laosan’s mother spat, “What a worthless woman. She really was sent back by her in-laws, absolutely true.”

“My daughter’s sister-in-law works in the county and says she’s with a bunch of men in the fields, being quite inappropriate.”

This comment was a bit too much, bordering on slander, and there was a risk of getting into trouble.

The clever old woman quickly dispersed.

The jeep parked in front of Lin’s house, just as Lin Da Niang was heading over to Lin Mu’s side.

With the busy wheat harvest, Lin Fu had gone with Lin Yue and others to cut the wheat with the tractor.

Lin Mu was left at home to take care of Bao’er and also had to tend to her own fields—weeding, pest control, and so on.

Since she was overwhelmed, Aunt Lin came over to help.

Seeing the two children and then a tall figure, Aunt Lin instinctively thought it was Lu Shaotang.

She was about to greet the children and call out to Lin Shu and Shaotang, but then saw Jiang Weidong turning around and noticed Lin Xia.

Oh, my! Is Lin Xia bringing a new husband home?

Lin Xia had returned to her family twice recently and had found opportunities to tell Aunt Lin and her uncle about her divorce.

However, she didn’t feel the need to elaborate on her issues with Qian Lisheng.

She only needed to mention her divorce without going into details.

Lin Shu said that revealing too many details to outsiders served no purpose and only enriched their gossip.

Though Aunt Lin and Uncle Lin were not outsiders and wouldn’t gossip, she still preferred not to say too much.

She only explained that she and her mother-in-law didn’t get along, and since Qian Lisheng sided with his mother, she decided to divorce.

There was no need to discuss medical reports, allegations, promotions, or anything else.

The past was the past; maintaining a bit of dignity was important.

After the divorce, she seldom thought about Qian’s family, only recalling them during the early days.

She didn’t want to return to her family and have others talk about Qian’s family.

Even if they helped criticize Qian’s family, it would be meaningless.

Lin Xia said gracefully, “Auntie, this is Jiang Weidong, my partner.”

Aunt Lin immediately adjusted her expression and greeted Jiang Weidong warmly.

A son-in-law who drives a jeep, no matter if it’s a second marriage or not, is still a good son-in-law!

She quickly approached Jiang Weidong, greeting him and offering to help carry things.

Jiang Weidong said, “Auntie, the meat has leaked blood. Let me carry it.”

Lin Mu was preparing lunch at home.

Hearing the noise, she came out and, although surprised, kept a calm expression as if she knew everything.

She greeted Jiang Weidong with a smile, invited him inside, and asked Aunt Lin to help cook a few more dishes and invite Uncle Lin and Lin Ju over for drinks.

Jiang Weidong originally intended to come over and take a look first…

To make a good impression on her in-laws, Lin Xia decided to leave quickly after dropping off the items without staying for a meal.

However, seeing Lin Mother’s warm and friendly demeanor, which suggested there was no estrangement, Jiang Weidong felt as though he was already a member of the Lin family and that having a meal together would be a good way to build relationships.

While Jiang Weidong was unpacking, Lin Xia took the opportunity to briefly introduce him to Lin Mother, mentioning that he was the son of Old Lady Jiang.

Lin Mother had met Old Lady Jiang briefly during her hospital stay, but they weren’t very familiar.

However, with Lin Shu and the kids frequently mentioning Old Lady Jiang, Lin Mother had gotten more acquainted with her.

Lin Mother patted the kids on their heads and asked them to keep an eye on Bao’er while she made tea for Jiang Weidong.

Jiang Weidong said, “Auntie, don’t trouble yourself. Just plain water is fine.”

Lin Mother made polite conversation, asking about his mother and his work.

Panpan and Tiantian helped by sharing information about their future uncle.

“My future uncle is the deputy factory director at the steel mill. He’s very dedicated to his work and has a wall full of awards.”

“He used to be a soldier, just like my dad and Godfather Chen.”

“He’s very kind and good to my aunt, to my mother, and to us.”

The kids chattered away, leaving Lin Mother little chance to talk to Jiang Weidong, which saved Lin Xia from having to explain much.

Lin Xia had already mentioned to her father twice at the commune that she was seeing someone.

Her father immediately wanted her to bring Jiang Weidong home to discuss marriage.

In their view, finding a partner was meant to lead to marriage, so once a match was made, they wanted to discuss the wedding arrangements as soon as possible, preferably with both families meeting and a matchmaker involved, and then get married right away.

Lin Xia knew her father wouldn’t be open to the idea of delaying the marriage, so she hadn’t mentioned when she would bring Jiang Weidong home.

Lin Mother had naturally heard from Lin Father about their second daughter having a partner, so she was neither surprised nor displeased when she met Jiang Weidong.

As Lin Xia’s mother, she couldn’t help but compare him with her previous sons-in-law.

Jiang Weidong was taller, more handsome, mature, and composed, with a gentle smile and calm eyes, resembling a capable official.

This was in contrast to Qian Lisheng, who had a somewhat unstable gaze, and Lu Shaotang, who, though handsome, had a somewhat intimidating presence.

Lin Mother thought Lu Shaotang was a bit intimidating, even though he treated his mother-in-law with respect and kindness, his demeanor had a formidable quality.

Now, comparing the three sons-in-law, Lin Mother felt more at ease with Jiang Weidong.

She felt that this man was the most suitable.

Oh, when my daughter moved from the countryside to the city, she never had the chance to meet such a good match.

Thankfully, it’s not too late.

She saw that Jiang Weidong was mature and steady, thinking he must be around thirty.

Although he was a few years older than her second daughter, she didn’t mind.

An older man is better, he knows how to care for people, whereas younger ones might expect you to play the mother role.

She didn’t ask Jiang Weidong how old he was, and didn’t care about that as long as he treated her daughter well and her daughter felt good about him.

Soon, Uncle Lin was called back from the fields by Aunt Lin.

She also invited Zhou Fu, who had a good relationship with the Lin family, to accompany the guests.

This showed respect for the visitors and was also a way to give face to Zhou’s family, making them happy.

If it were up to Lin Da Niang, she would have invited the village secretary, the brigade leader, and the accountant for a meal as well.

She wanted them to see that Lin Xia had a son-in-law who drove a jeep.

This son-in-law was clearly different from Lin Shu’s, and was probably either an active-duty soldier or a retired officer.

A retired officer usually held a leadership position and was considered quite respectable, especially someone who could drive a jeep.

This was quite a status symbol.

Not only would this bring prestige in the eyes of the villagers, but even the brigade officials would appreciate the association, which could lead to better treatment in future dealings like grain distribution, land allocation, and daily work arrangements.

However, Uncle Lin didn’t agree.

He thought it better to wait until Lin Xia and her fiancé were married and then invite them over to the family home.

It wasn’t that he feared the marriage might be called off, but rather that he felt it wasn’t appropriate to invite brigade officials when his family wasn’t fully aware of the situation.

After meeting Jiang Weidong, Uncle Lin thought, ‘hmm, he definitely wouldn’t be dismissive of Lin Xia. He looked quite fond of her.’

The big shot who drove a jeep spoke warmly and offered him a cigarette, without any airs about him.

Why was that?

It was clearly out of respect for his niece.

What about Qian Lisheng?

Just a worker at a steel mill, who always acted aloof whenever he visited the Lin family.

Though he never directly demeaned the Lin family, it left Uncle Lin uncomfortable.

If someone makes him uncomfortable, he sees it as deliberate.

Jiang Weidong, however, didn’t make him uncomfortable at all.